In a real-life, Clampett-like situation that echoes the classic TV series "The Beverly Hillbillies," Arkansas is potentially sitting on a gold mine. Only this time, it's lithium instead of oil.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) has announced a possible game-changer for The Natural State and the nation: between 5 and 19 million tons of lithium reserves buried deep beneath the Smackover Formation, located in the state's southwest.
And here's the kicker: If deemed commercially recoverable, this amount would meet the projected 2030 global demand for lithium in vehicle batteries nine times over.
You read that right.
A scientific study done by the USGS and the Arkansas Department of Energy and the Environment's Office of the State Geologist has confirmed the existence of lithium in brines found in the Smackover Formation, the Jurassic era geological remains of an ancient ocean. What exists today is an extensive, porous, and permeable limestone geological unit extending from under parts of Arkansas to Louisiana, Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida.
The Jurassic time period is known for the rich deposits of oil and bromine it left behind. And now the Smackover Foundation is back in the news for its lithium, the 21st century oil.
“Lithium is a critical mineral for the energy transition, and the potential for increased U.S. production to replace imports has implications for employment, manufacturing and supply-chain resilience. This study illustrates the value of science in addressing economically important issues,” said USGS Director David Applegate.
Brines are defined as the high-salinity waters associated with deep salt deposits. Extracting the lithium that's produced alongside regular oil and gas operations offers another opportunity to gain an extremely profitable commodity. It would have gone to waste otherwise.
“Our research was able to estimate total lithium present in the southwestern portion of the Smackover in Arkansas for the first time. We estimate there is enough dissolved lithium present in that region to replace U.S. imports of lithium and more. It is important to caution that these estimates are an in-place assessment. We have not estimated what is technically recoverable based on newer methods to extract lithium from brines,” said Katherine Knierim, a hydrologist and the study’s principal researcher.
Lithium is a critical mineral for today's battery technology, powering everything from electronic devices to vehicles. It's highly in-demand as the transportation industry continues its relatively rapid transition from fossil fuels to electrified vehicles. The U.S. currently imports 25 percent of its total lithium supply and it's projected to increase.
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The USGS, meanwhile, estimates that there's enough of it under southern Arkansas that can cover the country's current estimated lithium consumption, even at the low-end. Put another way, that low-ball estimate of 5 million tons alone could help the U.S. become more energy independent for years to come.
Electrified vehicles are either pure battery electrics, hybrids, or plug-in hybrids. Commercial vehicles are also transitioning to electrification, specifically battery-electrics like the Tesla Semi, Windrose, and Volvo VNR Electric.
The full study, first published in Science Advances, can be read here.